A/N: Hey everyone! Woah, I think this is the longest chapter I've ever written for any story here. I guess that's why it took me so long to finish it. I still would like to apologize for the long wait and hope this will make up to it. Thanks so much to my wonderful beta waterbaby who helped me a lot with this one! Now I will give out cookies and blankets to everyone reading because there will be feels. There will be a lot of feels. And I'm not sorry for it. So, if you want to yell at me, I'd be happy to hear you out in your reviews or via twitter. My username is 'GlindaLoveShoes'.
Can't wait to hear what you think! Now enjoy :)
(11)
She helped Robin to wipe off the burnt food from the floor, and then asked him to get a new pan and ingredients from the fridge. He obeyed, thankful she'd taken pity on him, and while she busied herself with cleaning the counter top, Robin placed the new ingredients on the side.
"Thanks… for helping me out here I mean."
"I can't possibly let you burn down the whole studio, can I?" Regina joked, cleaning her hands on the towel. "Now step aside. Do you think you can manage to cut the onions into small pieces or will you accidentally cut off your finger?"
"I think I can manage," Robin grumbled back, a thankful but slightly embarrassed smile on his lips. It could be worse. He really could have set the damned studio on fire.
Regina waited for the pan to heat before she added the minced meat. While waiting, she cut some fresh tomatoes into pieces and opened a can of tomatoes and tomato paste. It wasn't until she felt Robin jump slightly when she brushed against him, that she realized he was incredibly tense. His eyes were fixed on the slaughtered onion. He was concentrating so hard that it looked as though he wasn't cutting the damned vegetable but deactivating a freaking bomb. Damn it, acting as if everything was alright had never been his strong suit, so Regina decided to take matters into her own hands. She brushed her hand against his arm, making him look up in surprise.
"May I help you? This poor onion looks like it just came home from the battlefield."
He looked down, eyeing his onion skeptically. She was right. It did look like a battlefield. Could he get nothing right here? They'd been this close once before and things had worked out. Defeated, he abandoned the knife on the counter and stepped back.
"Uh… yes. I'm sorry, I don't know what's wrong with me." Oh, he knew exactly what was wrong, but she waved it off with a smile. Both of them were nervous about this whole situation, afraid to do something that might give them away to the audience and the others.
"Let me show you." Regina stepped in front of him, placing her hands on his so she could guide him. They were close, so close she actually thought she could get lost in his calming smell and warm body again just like last time at the paintball shooting, but she had to focus. Focus on breathing, focus on cutting the onion with him and make it all look casual as if this was the first time they'd cooked together. It wasn't though, and they both were hit with the reality of the situation between them. Ten years, they hadn't seen each other in ten freaking years and so much had happened. It wasn't impossible to go back to where they once were, was it?
No, the real question was did they even want to go back to where they were? Regina knew she had to talk to Robin privately, had to share what happened that fateful night which had sealed both their fates. She was sure he didn't know, well, how could he?
"Regina?" It was a mere whisper in her ear, warm, comforting, questioning. She shook her head to gain her focus back, clearing her throat.
"Look… You uh… you just take it and then cut. Move the knife very smoothly along, while you push the onion further with your other hand." Just like I showed you a million times before. But you never listened to me because you were too busy feeling me up from behind, which mostly ended in sloppy sex on the kitchen counter.
"Robin? Are you paying attention?" His breath tickled her behind her ear and she felt him lean into her, smelling her. They'd always been like that, never getting enough of each other's scent. When she tilted her head to the side so she could see him better, she was surprised to find his eyes closed in bliss. A quick blow to the ribs with her elbow made him flinch. "Seriously?"
"What?" His eyes snapped open. Oh, he knew that look. That half amused, half annoyed look she always got when he was just being himself. He wanted to hold her, wanted to pull her back close against him and bury his nose in her delicious smelling hair, wanted to kiss that spot on her neck which he knew would make her squirm underneath him, but he couldn't. Not now, not here in front of the cameras and probably not ever, because she wasn't his anymore. He knew her ten years ago for the span of a summer. They'd changed, they must have, but the attraction was still there. Were they both locked in a bubble of the past they couldn't let go of?
"Robin…" Her voice was just a whisper before she cleared her throat and gave him a fake chuckle. "I'm not gonna do all the work by myself here. Seriously, how do you survive? The even more important question is how does your poor son survive?"
She bit her lip the moment she said it. She wasn't supposed to know about Roland, not yet when they didn't have a chance to talk officially about him. Robin was as surprised as she was about the question, his eyes shooting up in wonder while he was thinking when he'd ever mentioned Roland.
"Jefferson told me before he left," Regina quickly answered. Nobody would know whether he'd told her or not, right? He was gone and they couldn't ask him any longer.
Robin's confusion seemed to clear up and was set aside by a genuine smile. "Roland's four and a fan of plain spaghetti as well as peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and bananas, so we do get by fine…" He admitted defeat when Regina's brows shot up in horror at the very balanced meal plan for a four-year old. "Most of the time I'm lucky and John or Will leave us something which I just have to heat up in the microwave… or we go to the nearest diner."As tempting as it was to stick out his tongue at her obvious eye roll, he kept his mouth shut.
"Of course you do. God Robin, he needs more fruit, he needs vegetables, he - have you ever thought about a cooking course?" It was a serious question, one she had teased him with back when they'd been together, back when everything had been fine between them.
"I'm getting one now." Oh God, damn that man and his dimples!
"Yeah, right." She turned back toward the counter to finish cutting the onion when she felt his hand gently squeeze her elbow.
"I am a good father, Regina." The way he said it, with all the emotion and sincerity made her shiver.
"I know you would have been." It was a mere whisper and more a moment she wasn't sure whether she'd really said it out loud or just thought it. She believed him, oh how she believed that he was a good father to his boy and for a moment she wished… No. No, this was out of the question. Tell him that… Shit. What did she just say?
Xxxxx
Regina entered her room in the east wing of the mansion, far away from the other bedrooms in the house. It was one of the smaller rooms with a grand balcony toward the forest - not nearly as mesmerizing as the rooms in the west wing with a view over the park and garden. She didn't mind though, didn't mind the solitude and the calming noises of the forest, which would whisper to her at night. Another positive aspect was the old oak tree whose branches were reaching over the banister - and which was easy to climb up and down to get away from the house unnoticed. Just like she had tonight when she'd stayed longer with Robin than she originally planned.
They'd needed it, needed to talk everything out, needed to plan their escape in two days. He would be waiting for her at the clearing with the woodland strawberries, which had kind of become their secret spot. From there, he would drive them straight to Boston airport, and they would hop onto the next best flight to England they could get. Free, she would finally be free, with someone who loved her just as much as she loved him. She'd asked for two days to set everything straight, to pack, to steal her passport from her mother's safe, to bring up enough money for the flight and a bit of cash in the back for living.
Even though Robin had reassured her she wouldn't need anything, that his Aunt and Uncle would take them in, Regina didn't want to start off with nothing. Robin had promised her to find work as soon as they were settled, that she shouldn't worry about anything. Could this really work? Could she really be that lucky? There were so many things he still didn't know about her, so many things she still didn't know about him, but in three months he'd turned out to be her savior. There were a hundred reasons to stay, but just as many to go. The grandest of all was the secret she'd been carrying around since last night, the one she couldn't tell him because she was afraid he would leave her and blow the whole thing off once he found out.
It… it would be better for him to not know just yet. Perhaps in a week or two when they were settled and safe in England, where she was free of her mother's grasp and this abusive hell of a man. If she was honest, this was the reason she wanted to have enough money as well. Once she was in England, she could never go back and if Robin didn't want this, she would be able to care for herself - at least for a little while. So no, she hadn't told him, but she would. Soon.
Quietly Regina slipped through one of the French doors of her balcony, which was just ajar. To her surprise, the light on the bedside table was turned on, a teenage girl about the age of fifteen sitting on the edge of the bed. Her hip long dark curls were mazy and tousled, her white as snow skin looking almost hollow in the light of the lamp. Shit.
"Mary Margaret," Regina whispered, startled. What the hell was she doing here? The girl's head shot up, eyes filled with confusion and anger meeting hers. This was not good, no, this was bad. The teenager was pissed and this never meant anything good for her.
"Where have you been, Regina?" Mary Margaret's voice was reproachful, just like the look she gave her.
"What are you doing in my room?" Regina wanted to know instead. She'd made sure to lock her door in case anyone unwelcome wanted to come inside her room while she was gone. She'd joined the family for supper but complained she was coming down with a headache and would lie down in her room with the explicit order not to be disturbed.
"We will leave you to it, darling. You're bad company when you're nursing one of your headaches anyway," her mother had said in that ever criticizing tone of hers.
"I was looking for you." Mary Margaret disturbed her train of thought.
"It's the middle of the night."
"Yeah that's why I'm wondering why you weren't in your room. I had to get the butler to unlock it for me because I thought something happened to you when you weren't answering to me!"
"I told you I was having a headache," Regina tried to defend herself but knew the girl wouldn't listen.
"Yeah, a fine headache you have there when you felt well enough to slip out of the house to go to that bat-shit crazy boyfriend of yours!"
Her mouth dropped open and for a moment she could swear her heart had stopped beating in her chest. No. No, no, no, no, no! She'd been so careful. She'd tried to keep him a secret, she'd…
"Yeah, don't think I don't know about you and that weirdo tramp who won't let you out of his sight for a minute. I saw you. I saw you and I can't believe all this!"
Regina gasped, her hands clenching into a fist with her thought and emotions running wild. "Did you… did you notify my mother? Or your father?"
Mary Margaret shook her head, reaching behind her to pick something up she'd obviously been hiding. Regina stared at the positive pregnancy test in Mary Margaret's hands, the one she'd been hiding under the picture of her and her father in her drawer since she felt it too dangerous to throw it into the trash can in her bathroom. She wasn't sure, but in case anyone would go through her trash she wanted the test to be safe. It'd been a shock when she found out this morning. She'd suspected it for not longer than a week, had wanted to calm down her conscience that it was only a stomach bug from one of Robin's cooking attempts gone wrong. Unfortunately, it hadn't been though, and she knew it was that time on the couch, where they'd both been so wound up in each other they simply forgot.
"Look at me, Regina, look at me," he whispered breathlessly. She did, her liquid chocolate colored brown eyes were wide open. God, she was so beautiful. One more thrust and she came. Hard. Her walls clenched around him violently, her releasing scream was silenced by his mouth, turning into a deeply satisfying groan. Now her hands were on his hair again, holding him tight. Robin would have loved to ride her orgasm out but he couldn't hold it any longer. With a yelp he spilled into her, pounding, spilling, wetting them both and the couch with his semen, her walls still clutching around him, milking him dry until he collapsed onto her.
Both were breathing heavily, trying to catch a breath.
"We didn't..." he whispered while Regina stroked his hair softly.
"I know. I don't care."
Now Regina knew she should have cared. Sometimes it only took one damn time.
Mary Margaret crossed her arms in front of her chest, shooting Regina an angry look. "Not yet. I wanted to, but then I found this and I want an explanation first."
Oh no. Her ears started ringing, her pulse increased. Oh no, why… how… what… She felt sick. Without a second thought, Regina snatched the empty vase from the nearest dresser to catch up her vomit. Weakness engulfed her, making her go down on her knees, her body shaking with shivers whenever another retch reflex hit her and she spit and puked into the probably really expensive vase.
Mary Margaret was next to her within seconds, hesitating to rub Regina's back but did so anyway. It took Regina a while to get the puking under control, since every time she took a deep breath a new wave of nausea hit her. There went the delicious dinner she'd had with Robin, just like there went her dreams of freedom.
Mary Margaret's hand left her for a minute and came back with a damp, cold face cloth that she pressed to Regina's neck and then her forehead. Even though she was incredibly angry with the girl for the moment, she did appreciate the gesture. Once she was sure the nausea had ebbed away, Regina took a few moments to close her eyes and take deep breaths. When she took the facecloth from Mary Margaret to wipe away the perspiration on her forehead, she looked up to find the girl watching her with a strange look on her face.
"You went through my stuff," Regina choked out, keeping the vase close in case she had to throw up again. The waves of decomposed stomach contents that were rising up from the vase made it hard to breathe. "You had no right to do so."
"This is my father's house, I have every right and I'm glad I did. Are you really pregnant, Regina?"
The silence was the expected yes to the question, making Mary Margaret's eyes widen in shock. "You are. You really are. Is it… is it his?!"
A deep sigh escaped her throat and Regina wanted to get up, but the upcoming wave of nausea made her sit back down on the carpet. "You don't understand Mary Margaret. Please let me explain…"
"What is there to explain?! You are supposed to get engaged to my father and now you want to foist that child of an abusive bastard on him? I knew you were an ungrateful, spoiled bitch but I never thought you'd betray my family like this! Not after everything my father did for you and your mother!"
"What?!" Regina whispered blinking, her mouth open in shock and her face as white as the sheets on her bed. Abusive bastard? Foist Robin's child… what…?! Oh God. Oh God she felt sick again.
"Mary Margaret, you don't understand…" She couldn't finish, instead had to lean back over the vase retching, the tears streaming down her cheeks and her nose, dripping down into the vase.
"Oh I understand all of this very well, Regina. But I am done playing your games. I am going to tell my father right now, how you betrayed him, how you'd rather let a crazy bastard impregnate you. You could have come to us in the first place, we would have helped you with that abusive son of a bitch, but you were weak. You would rather stay with him than let your family help you. You were supposed to become my mother! You ruined everything!" The girl grabbed the positive pregnancy test and took off with tears streaming down her face and a broken heart.
Regina sat there, huddled on the floor, seeking the power to get back up. Her ears were ringing with Mary Margaret's words. Why would she ever think of Robin being abusive? He'd never been anything but kind to her. It was Mary Margaret's father who was the abusive one but she could never tell the girl that. She thought he'd hung the stars and the moon. Hell, the thought of Leopold Blanchard made her sick again.
What would happen once they found out? He wouldn't be happy about her condition; neither would her mother who took any chance to remind her just how hard she'd worked to get them there. Worked, pah! Daddy had been the one to work his ass off, to work until he fell so deadly ill his treatments sucked up almost all their money. The bit they'd had left had been wasted by her mother in order to preserve their precious lifestyle up until Leopold had taken a shine to her at one of her mother's galas.
Damn, she had to leave. She had to leave right now and find Robin. Screw the passport, screw her belongings, she had to get out of here, had to protect Robin, their unborn child and herself.
Xxxxx
"What did you just say?" Robin wondered, blinking at her confused. Regina flinched, shaking her head in order to chase the unwelcome memory away from her thoughts.
"I mean… I know, Robin. I know you're a good dad and your son must love you to the moon and back, even if your cooking is horrible." That managed to drag a laugh out of both of them. "Now let's… Let's fry the meat… and don't you dare let it burn!" She quickly stepped out of his embrace in the need for space, forcing an amused smile on her face. Robin eyed her questioningly but didn't say anything; instead he took the spatula from her and turned the frying meat under her watchful eye. It was Regina who added the other ingredients one by one, making him once again wonder how she made cooking look so easy. The silence between them didn't grow exactly uncomfortable, but heavier with the minute.
"So… uh, Robin. What do you do for a living?"
He looked surprised she would ask such a question, but of course, how would she know? So much had changed in ten years. He didn't even know who she was anymore, not after that fateful night where she didn't show up. It was a sign she wanted to get to know him better, even if it was in front of the cameras. This was his chance. He had to take it
"I'm an English teacher at my town's high school in the mornings and run the archery center in the afternoon and evenings with two of my friends John and Will. They were actually the ones who tricked me into this thing here."
"Did they now?" Regina wondered half surprised, half amused. She didn't know this John person but Will seemed like someone who would trick Robin into that kind of thing. Right now, she wasn't sure whether she should thank or hate Will, but anyways she would make sure to send him a big carton of Reese's once this whole thing was over, no matter the outcome.
"I lost a bet…" Robin admitted. "But I'm kind of glad I did since it got me here. To you."
The casual honesty with which he said it made Regina tremble in her movement. She looked up at him, licking her dry lips, softly burying her teeth in the lower in order to hide a sigh. After all this time he meant it, he really did. Robin was happy about their reunion and despite the fact she still didn't know what to make of the situation, so was she.
"Tell me about your son," she whispered, taking the spatula from him in order to stir the sauce so nothing would burn.
A sudden smile appeared of Robin's face, that one smile every parent gets when they proudly talk about their children. "Oh, you would love him, Regina. He's the smartest, wittiest and cutest four-year old you've ever seen. He's about this tall," he held his hand down to the middle of his thigh, "has dark brown curls and the sweetest smile, dimples and all."
"Just like his dad," she mumbled, actually wondering why she'd said that out loud but didn't fret when she received just one of those ravishing dimples smiles from Robin. This was good. She was supposed to flirt, to make things look casual.
"He's good with the puppy dog eyes as well. Even after all this time I can't say I'm immune to these, even if I should be. Oh, and he loves bedtime stories."
"Oh really? What's his favorite?"
"He loves The Magic Table, the Gold Donkey and the Club in the Sack as well as The Star Money. But his favorite are the tales of Robin Hood." Except for the latter those were some interesting choices for a little boy. She liked the fact Robin read not only the disneyfied tales to his son but also some of the classics.
"I wonder why that is," Regina hummed at the mentioning of Robin Hood, a laugh escaping her throat, but Robin didn't make a face, instead he took the spatula back from her and bumped slightly against her hip.
"Well, with a father named Robin who is running an archery center and one of the best archers in the area, the boy is doomed to do so. As much as I love being here, he's one of the things I miss most."
Her heart ached terribly at his revelation and she was tempted, oh so tempted, to tell him she knew exactly what it felt like to be separated from your child. If Robin knew that… No, no she wouldn't go there, not right now. Instead, she chuckled at his comment, and gave him an understanding smile before taking a spoon from the drawer to taste the sauce.
"Almost perfect." Without thinking, Regina dipped the spoon into the sauce once again to let Robin try just like she'd done a hundred times before. He didn't take the spoon from her, just wrapped his lips around it, humming in appreciation.
"Delicious."
"Yes, but something is still missing."
"Let me guess," he smirked. "The secret ingredient? Told you I might need it someday."
"And I promised to tell you when the day comes," she smiled and her heart jumped when his fingers thankfully brushed along her arm, leaving a trail of goose bumps behind on her skin.
"Today is the day. Look here." Regina held up a small glass bottle. "Red pepper flakes. Gives it some kick." Carefully, the brunette added the flakes to the sauce before she instructed Robin to hand her a bowl where they could pile up the different lasagna layers. While she added and spread the sauce, Robin placed the lasagna noodles expertly onto the sauce and added lots of cheese later. After all, the cheese was the best part, he told her.
"Thank you for your help, Regina. I couldn't have done it without you."
"Well, you are a hopeless cause when it comes to cooking and the kitchen," she grinned after closing the oven door and turning around, finding herself suddenly much closer to him than before. There were so many unspoken words between them. Oh if she could only drag him to the backstage area without the cameras, without prying eyes to watch them, if she could just… talk to him. Tell him about Henry, tell him what happened all these years ago. Robin seemed to want to do the same, his hands twitching, his lips pressed into a thin line, eyes pleading. But they couldn't. Not when they didn't want this to blow up in their faces, not when there were five other men working on a lasagna only a few feet away.
"Regina!" someone called her, the voice picked with a hint of annoyance. Sidney. Of course. She'd spent over thirty minutes with Robin; of course the other men would start to feel like she was neglecting them.
"I… I have to go. The others…" She pointed toward Sidney who was waving at her excitedly.
"I know," Robin sighed. "I just hope… I really hope I'll win."
"I'll keep my fingers crossed for you," she answered smiling and she really, really hoped her… their lasagna would make it. But it wasn't in her hands. The other candidates would decide who would win the date with her tomorrow evening.
Reluctant to leave, Regina squeezed his hand before she walked over to Sidney and Tiana who were still working on a salmon-spinach version of a lasagna that smelled more than delicious. Fresh salmon was one of her guilty pleasures. She didn't turn around to see David had been watching Robin and her the whole time, a frown on his face. It was Robin who caught his eye, smiled and thanked him for sending Regina over, since his lasagna would have been a mess otherwise.
"This looks great," Regina complimented Sidney and the chef, who seemed to be a bit annoyed.
"Would you like to try?" Sidney asked excitedly, taking a spoon so he could feed her the cream sauce that would accompany the salmon. "Do you like it?"
"It's amazing," Regina smiled, her eyes wandering over to Tiana who tried to hide a grimace.
"Uh, Regina, don't you think it's time to… you know?" Tiana's head pointed over to the jury counter where a single rose was resting in a tall sleek vase.
"Yes, sure…"
"Need any help?" Tiana wondered, seeming desperate to get away from Sidney for a minute.
"Sure, come on." They checked with production, who would set up everything once she emerged from the backstage area with her decision. Most lasagnas were already in the oven and the others were asked to either finish up quickly or abandon their work for a few minutes so Regina could give away the rose.
In the backstage area were no cameras for once, so Regina let out a deep sigh when Tiana closed the door behind them. "This guy is a dainty pain in the ass."
"Who? Sidney?" Regina asked, trying to hide a laugh but barely succeeding.
"He fell for you real hard, Regina. All he talks about is you and himself and how he is such a great cook. He didn't even want my help, disagreeing with me on everything. Really. Working with him was a waste of time! I'd better have helped one of the other guys like this Victor or Robin… But well, it seems like you took very good care of the latter, huh?"
"He would have burnt down the whole studio if I hadn't," Regina admitted with reddened cheeks.
"I'm just saying," Tiana grinned, blowing one of her loose strands of hair out of her face. "He's kinda cute, huh?"
"He smells like forest… and burnt mince!"
"Not necessarily a bad thing, is it? It's just you two seemed really intimate the way you were cooking. Even though he didn't do much you two were working really well together, almost in sync." There was an undertone in Tiana's voice, one Regina couldn't really depict. Had they been too obvious? Had the others caught on to them?
"Oh don't panic," Tiana reassured her at Regina's caught-like-a-deer-in-the-headlights look. "All I wanted to say is you're working well together and your chemistry is great - obviously! Since you spent so much time with him, is he going to get your rose?"
Well, that was a very good question. Regina twirled the perfect rose in her fingers, debating her options. She wanted for Robin to win the competition so badly so they would finally have a chance to talk. Tink surely could arrange something once their date was officially over, when the cameras were gone and they were finally alone together. They both needed it, now more than ever since the growing tension was getting to both of them. But what would the outcome be? Would he resent her? Would she have the heart to tell him everything, even about Henry? What if he got so mad… She didn't even want to think about it. On the other hand… what about her demons?
Xxxxx
There wasn't much time. All Regina could do was run and never look back. She had to get to Robin, had to tell him they must leave immediately. Oh God. Oh God. She'd wasted so much time already with sitting on the floor crying, time she could have used in order to escape. Her legs still weren't steady and the prospect of climbing down the tree with unsteady legs was terrifying yet necessary. She would get out of here, she would save her baby and herself - but if she wanted a chance at freedom, she had to leave now.
Regina slipped into her leather jacket, not bothering to take anything else. There were a few things she would certainly miss, but after her hopes were crushed, there was no time for sentimentality. As quick as a squirrel, Regina climbed onto the branch, which had grown close to the balcony. Due to her excellent balance and fitness, she maneuvered herself quickly over to the trunk, beginning her climb down. Every movement was practiced, every step well thought out and within the time of two minutes, Regina was finally down on the ground, ready to run over to the edge of the forest where her bike was waiting for her.
"Where do you think you're going?!" Regina froze in her movements, her breath catching in her throat while every syllable felt like a stab in the back.
"Mother." It wasn't more than a whisper but enough to make her blood run cold when the young woman turned around in order to see her mother as well as two of the butlers standing right beside her. Cora seemed to be calm, the only things that belied her fury with her daughter were her eyes, but Regina knew deep inside she was seething.
"Oh don't stutter Regina, I taught you better than that when someone asks you a question. But in that case, I thought I taught you better in other regards as well. Now let me repeat my question: Where do you think you're going?"
"I… please," she begged, her knees once again giving in. Slowly she sank down to the ground, her jeans dampening in the wet grass. Without realizing, her arms wrapped protectively around her stomach, drawing a disgusted snort from her mother.
"Please what Regina?! I always thought you were unworthy, but I never thought you to be a dirty, unthankful whore. Well, now I know better. Now get up and stop with the awful tears, they won't help you! Thanks to your stupidity and immaturity I have to figure out how to get us out of this terrible situation. Get up!" Cora demanded once again, but Regina couldn't. Her legs were heavy as steel, her body shaking with sobs, nausea, fear, worry about what would happen now that she'd been found out. Running wouldn't help - not that she could anyway.
All of a sudden she felt two hands grip her upper arms on each side, felt her limp body dragged up and pressed between the muscular frames of the butlers who half carried, half dragged her back to the house with her mother walking in front of them. They didn't bring her back to her room; instead they brought her up to the attic where the rooms of the staff were located.
The room was small, not more than a bed with a night table, a wardrobe and a basin with a mirror. It probably belonged to one of the maids who got fired by her mother for "incompetence". The butlers set her down on the bed and left the room, audibly locking the door behind them. Regina rolled back, her head facing the wall with the tiny window now. She couldn't climb out of here; the room was located way too high up. The door was locked. There was no way out for her, no way to save her and her child, no way to contact Robin since there was no phone in here either, and her cell had been taken from her by one of the butlers.
Nausea hit her once again and she made her weak body get up just in time to reach the basin to empty the little bit that was left of her stomach content into the white basin.
"I'm so sorry, baby," the young mother to be whispered, stroking her flat stomach gently. "I'm so sorry I failed you." Desperate sobs and hot tears escaped her throat and eyes, muffled by the clean smelling pillow she now pressed to her face. There was nothing she could do other than wait and cry now, wait for her fate to be decided for her once again downstairs by her mother and cry for the chance she lost with Robin. Robin… Would he know something was wrong if she didn't answer his messages? He was used to going a few days without hearing from her from time to time and with everything that was going on, everything he knew… Oh but there was so much he didn't know, so much she hadn't told him. He would still come, right? He would come for her, would save her just like he'd done that evening in the Rabbit Hole, or that day in the forest, or…
"Your daddy will save us, little one. He will come for us, I'm sure of it."
Regina remained inside the room until the next morning. She'd barely gotten any sleep, nightmares keeping her awake about what would happen in the morning when her mother and Leopold had made their decision. Furthermore, the infamous morning sickness - a joke really, since she was feeling nauseous all day - woke her early, leaving a biting smell behind in the room, as much as Regina tried to get rid of it by opening the small window and letting the water run. When the key was turned inside the lock, the young woman sat up on the edge on the bed, her fingers gripping the mattress and sheets hard so her knuckles turned white.
To her surprise, it was a maid who entered the room with one of the butlers from last night, who opened the door and closed it right behind the maid once again. She held a dress and a brush kit in her hands, a shy smile on her face.
"Melody," Regina whispered desperately, knowing the young woman was about her age.
"I'm not allowed to talk to you, Miss Mills," Melody whispered, her eyes darting over her shoulder as if she feared they could be overheard. "Would you like help with the dress, or…?"
"I think I can manage," Regina whispered defeated. Under the watchful eyes of the maid, Regina shed the clothes she'd been wearing last night onto the bed, then washed her face and changed into new underwear and a tight light blue summer dress with a floral pattern. Melody gestured for her to sit down on the bed once again so she could brush her hair and braid it into a side bun. Before she knocked for the butler to let her out, Melody grabbed Regina's hand and pressed a kiss into it. "Good luck."
It wasn't more than a whisper, but Regina knew she meant it. Melody left the room and soon after her door was opened once again, this time with both butlers in the frame, wordlessly gesturing for her to get up and follow them. They put her in the middle once again to make sure she wouldn't run, guiding her down the stairs to the breakfast room, where the table was set with an elaborate selection of food and fruits.
Cora and Leopold were sitting at the table, obviously both finished with their breakfast, their faces drawn into unreadable masks. Regina was seated across from her Mother to the right hand side of Leopold, who was drumming onto the wooden table with two of his fingers. She held her gaze down, not ready to look any one of the two in the eye right now.
"Leave us," Leopold ordered the butlers who'd brought Regina inside, waiting for them to close the door behind them before he gestured toward the empty plate in front of her.
"Would you like to have some breakfast, Regina?" Leopold asked, his voice softer than she imagined.
"I'm not hungry, thank you," Regina declined politely.
"Oh don't be ridiculous, child. Eat!" Cora's voice thundered down the walls, making Regina flinch so hard her hand brushed over the china teacup next to her hand. It didn't break but made an awfully loud clinking noise. Obediently, Regina took a piece of toast and the strawberry jam, her eyes focused on the jam spreading knife.
It was Leopold who spoke first, after Regina took a tiny bite from her toast, chewed and swallowed it down, hoping her stomach would agree with it.
"Yesterday night, unfortunate news came though to me by my daughter Mary Margaret. I must say, I'm very disappointed in you. I'm sure your mother taught you better than that," Leopold explained with a slow but significant voice.
"Leopold…" Cora started, but he raised his hand silencing her immediately.
"I thought we had an agreement, Regina. Is there anything you would like to say to your defense?"
Was there anything she could say, anything to help her out of this situation? Her silence made her mother furious, she could see that and while one hand was pushing her toast from one side of the plate to the other, her other arm was protectively wrapped around her stomach.
"Oh this is ridiculous, Leopold! What could she say in order to defend her thoughtless actions? I thought we agreed on bringing her to Dr. Lecter right away so he can get rid of this little inconvenience and we can progress as planned."
The nausea she'd tried desperately to hold back just got worse. Inconvenience? Get rid of it? Regina drew in a sharp breath, her hand clutching her stomach.
"Please," she whispered, her eyes dwelling with tears as she looked up to Leopold who was mustering her now with interest. "Please, don't hurt my baby. I'll do anything you want." Her mouth was dry, her throat itching but her face, her face was wet with tears.
"It's a little late for that," her mother threw in disdainfully, but Regina tried to tune her out, her focus on the man who'd robbed her of so much already.
"I promise to do anything you want, anything, but please don't kill my baby. What happened was my fault. It was me, all me and I understand you're angry, so punish me all you like. But please, please don't hurt my innocent child."
"That child is not innocent, it's a…"
"Cora!" Leopold cut her off with a raised voice, shooting a glare her way in order to shut her up. The look Regina received was much more gentle, even though the fact that he put his cold sweaty hand over her hand made her almost throw up in disgust. As much as she hated him, this man was her only chance to save her baby. There was no reasoning with her mother.
"My little gold lark, I see how protective you are of the unborn child you're carrying. You clearly have the touch of a mother already, something I dearly wish for my dear Mary. I will not harm your child, I'm not a monster." Regina swallowed audibly. "I'm sure sooner or later, Mary will start looking forward to her little brother or sister."
Regina's eyes widened, her mouth opening slightly, then closing again. "Of course, there are a few rules. Are you listening?"
She didn't manage to do more than nod. "If you want to give this child its best chance, then it will officially grow up as my son, with my name. I will make every important decision concerning this child's life with or without your consent. In return, I won't separate you from him unless necessary. In case it is a boy, he will become heir of my firm. I will determine his education and social environment. Of course for all this, there is one more important matter to be solved. I can't have society think this is not my child, you understand? So…" Leopold got up and grasped her hand in his.
Her eyes were wide, shocked, when realization hit in about what he was about to do. "Would you give me the honor, Regina, of becoming my wife?"
Her head swirled and she felt dizzy, oh so dizzy with everything that was happening right now. What were her options? There were none. This was her chance, the chance to save her baby's life and its best chance.
Regina wasn't given the time to answer. It was Cora who got up, eagerly agreeing, that "yes, she will marry you."
"It's settled then. The wedding will take place tomorrow afternoon. I'm sure Mary will be excited. Up until then, just to make sure you will keep our agreement, I have ordered my butlers to bring you back to your new room. We wouldn't want the bride to get cold feet now, would we?"
And with this, her fate was sealed. Her only chance to get out of this now was… Robin.
Xxxxx
She'd waited for two days for him to come for her, for him to save her and he'd just given up on them, never even bothered to look for her, he'd just moved on. So perhaps she should wait. Wait until they had the chance to talk before she gave him this rose. It was only fair to both of them and would not make him feel obliged to stay when he didn't want to in the end.
"Earth calling Regina?" Tiana asked, her eyebrows slightly raised. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah. I… I was just thinking."
"So you came to a decision?"
Regina twirled the rose one last time before she looked up to smile at Tiana. "I did."
Together, they walked out again, finding the six men and Belle waiting patiently in front of the cooking islands, waiting for Regina's decision.
"First of all, I want to apologize I didn't get the chance to help every one of you with their lasagnas. I'm really excited to taste them though since from what I could see, everything looks delicious! Some of you got really creative - I like that! Unfortunately I have only this one rose to give away before the others are going to pick who of you six will be my date for tomorrow night." The tension in the room was perceptible, all eyes glued to her lips, each hoping she would announce their own name.
"I've made my decision and I will give this rose to…Lance." Sighs - mixed with disappointment and relief escaped everyone. Lancelot smiled up at her brightly, his white teeth building a stark contrast to his dark skin. He confidently walked over to Regina, took the rose from her, and kissed her on both cheeks.
"That's a pleasant surprise. Thank you so much, I feel honored." Lancelot stepped back to his counter, putting the rose into the designated vase. Regina let her gaze wander, mostly met with disappointed smiles, even from Robin who seemed dissatisfied with her decision but gave her an understanding nod. The only one looking rather upset and pissed was Sidney, who quickly went back to his cooking island to angrily hack an onion he didn't need anymore into pieces.
The rest of the procedure was simple. Once the timer rang, everyone had to get out their lasagnas and carry them over to a table that had been set up. Each lasagna got a number, so the other candidates would know which one to chose as their favorite. Then, they were lead to the backstage area while Regina greeted the other men who'd arrived by now.
Together, Tiana and Regina prepared plates with tiny bits of each lasagna, which were marked by a toothpick with a little flag and the corresponding number on it. Since neither Regina nor Tiana were allowed to vote, they simply enjoyed bites of the lasagnas, sharing their opinion in the background while the other candidates were playing food taster.
Of course one or two of the guys tried to make her reveal the cook of a certain lasagna by making a certain comment or asking a clever question, but she hid behind her knowing smile, enjoying the flirtatious attempts of the men who'd been absent today.
After everyone was finished with their meal, they each wrote down the number of their favourite lasagna on a piece of paper, which they put into a black box. From what Regina had heard, she had a good idea which two lasagnas were opted for the most by the others. Now all they had to do was wait and see what Belle announced. So after a quick break, they reunited with the six cooks who were all eager to know who'd won.
Please let it be him, Regina wished, her body tense with anticipation. For once she didn't have anything to do with the decision and she hated it, hated how she couldn't do anything about it.
"Regina," Belle announced with her ever-cheerful Australian accent. "The men have decided and I'm actually not really surprised about their pick. So the candidate who will accompany you on tomorrow's date will be…"
The room was silent, but Regina could see how every one of the six was silently screaming, "Let it be me!"
"David."
Cautious applause filled the room, accompanied by some cheers and patting on the back from the friends David had made, such as Killian, August and, to Regina's surprise, Robin. She herself didn't know why she was so disappointed in the pick. David was a great guy from what she'd seen and she would love to get to know him better. But then, there was Robin. Robin, who did his best to be happy for his friend and not be upset that once again, he'd missed his chance.
